HEAD coach Paul Thompson says a more direct approach has put Cassidy Coventry Blaze back on the goal trail.

Thompson admits he was concerned by a seven-match spell that brought his side only 18 goals but Blaze have put that right in emphatic style.

They hit Basingstoke Bison and Edinburgh Capitals for six goals apiece to end Belfast Giants' three-month reign at the top of the bmibaby Elite League and four goals against both Nottingham Panthers and Edinburgh Capitals mean they have found the target 20 times in the last four games.

Thompson said: "We hadn't been scoring that many and that was something that did concern me.

"We talked about being more direct and getting more traffic at the net.

"We had been over-playing situations and trying to score the perfect goal all the time.

"We were dwelling on the puck a bit too much and I told the players that there's nothing wrong with scoring an ugly goal.

"I wanted to see us score from scrambles from in front of the net and we did that against Basingstoke and Edinburgh.

"We weren't getting the pucks into those areas before and that was a concern.

"But we put that right and the goals came from across the board as well."

Blaze go into a double header against Hull Stingrays this weekend trailing leaders Belfast Giants by two points but with two games in hand.

The clash between Blaze and Giants at the Skydome on February 11 is shaping up to be decisive in the scrap for the championship and Thompson said: "The title race is going down to the wire."